and fond o' dumb animals, is our Phoebe," said the
miller, who seemed gratified at this mark of attention. "So long as she
can have some lil' weak thing to make a fool on she'm happy, I b'lieve.
'Tes a woman's way."

"It's a very nice way for us poor devils of men," said Killigrew,
laughing.

Supper was a short and oddly nervous meal, and still Phoebe did not
come in. Ishmael at last felt there was no use staying longer and rose.

"Good-night to you, Mr. Lenine," he said. "I expect I'll find Phoebe
over at Cloom. If I do, I'll see her home."

"Good-night to you both," said the miller cordially enough; but when
they turned the corner by the wheel he was still peering after them as
though beset by some uneasiness.

"Rum old bird," opined Killigrew, as they swung along in the darkness.
As they reached the cliff again something brushed through the bushes
away to their right, but as they called and no one answered they
concluded it was a fox or some other wanderer of the night and went on.
Further along still they came on a man leaning against a stone step that
crested a wall they had to pass.

He did not move at their approach, and Ishmael touched him on the
sleeve.

"Here, we want to pass, please," he said.

"So you want to pass, do you?" said the man, with a slow laugh. "You
want to pass ...? Well, pass.... I'll not hinder 'ee passing here nor
yet to a place that's a sight further on...."

"Archelaus!" exclaimed Ishmael, peering into the darkness. But the man
had already moved off and was lumbering down the field, and the sound of
his quiet mirth was all that came back to them.

"I really think sometimes that Archelaus must have had a touch of the
sun out in Australia," declared Ishmael as they mounted the stile after
a brief awkward silence.

"If it's only that ..." was all that Killigrew would vouchsafe.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Only you're sure he wouldn't do anything to hurt you ...? He
doesn't seem to love you by all I've heard and seen since I've been
here."

"Of course not. What an idea! He does hate me pretty badly, I'm afraid,
but I'm out of his reach. Archelaus knows what side his bread is
buttered; he has a well-paid job and wouldn't do anything to upset it."

"There doesn't seem much love lost between you."

"There isn't. I'm incapable of being fair to Archelaus, as he to me, the
difference being that I admit it and he doesn't."

"I wonder what he's up to now," exclaimed Killigrew,